Bonsai events held in Japan generally is a display of bonsai masterpieces. As bonsai gained international popularity, foreign bonsai events shifted their style to where enthusiasts gather to exchange information and invite masters from Japan to hold workshops.The Bonsai Convention started off in such way. Soon, the conventions expanded to America and European nations and kept growing in scale. In the midst of its growing popularity, the first World Bonsai Convention was held in Japan, the home of bonsai, in April 1989.This convention was hosted by Japan Bonsai Association at Saitama Prefecture, Saitama City (former Omiya City), where the Omiya Bonsai Village is located, and achieved great success as the largest convention with over 1200 participants. The World Bonsai Convention was later decided to be held every four years and has been hosted by America, Korea, Germany, Puerto Rico, China, and in 2017, after 28 years of the first hosting, back in Japan.